Vampires: They Don't Suck Anymore

The First Vampire: Nosferatu

Sure, maybe he comes from a rich family and owns a nice big castle. But let's face it: No one would want to invite Count Orlock for dinner. He's got these rodent-like teeth, for one thing (too bad orthodontists don't work nights). For another, he seems to be a harbinger of the Plague—a sure conversation killer.

The film "Nosferatu," made in Germany shortly after World War I, does not dabble in ambiguity. Everyone saw what evil looked like back then, and they knew it wasn't pretty. Orlock is evil unmasked, a walking corpse who barely even looks human anymore. And even when a hint of emotion stirs within his cold, cold heart—when the beautiful maiden Ellen offers herself to the monster in order to kill him—Orlock's nocturnal advances just come across as … icky. Eternal life never looked less inviting.